Tag Archives: DFA

Actor Advice, Part Two: 4 Tips for Nailing an Audition

Hopefully you’ve read Part One of ‘Actor’s Advice’ – and maybe it even helped you get an audition. Now, here are a few tips for nailing your audition once you’re in the door.

1. Go back and re-read the breakdown.

Read it carefully.
Carefully.

Wherever you applied, there must have been at least a basic description of the character. Chances are, though, you apply for multiple auditions each day and these descriptions blur together. So to avoid confusion – go back and re-read the break-down for the character! The words used to describe this person are key words for what you should convey in your audition. Read them over and over, and take them to heart.

2. If you get the sides in advance – know them! 

Make this much progress in a week.
Make this much progress in a week.

If you’re doing a ‘cold read’ – seeing the pages for the first time – it’s one thing. If you’ve had the pages for days, it’s another.

Not only will studying in advance keep you from burying your face in the pages as you audition, which is bad for multiple reasons (the camera won’t get a good shot of your face if you’re being filmed, it’ll be harder to act natural, etc.), but it tells casting you come prepared. It’s good to keep your pages in hand, but really, they should practically be memorized.

To hammer this home, let me say there’s nothing more annoying than an actor who is clearly reading sides they got in advance for the first time. Recently, I was auditioning actresses for a short. An actress came in and she looked and sounded the part. I was already putting stars next to her name. Then, she read. She’d had her sides for two weeks – and couldn’t get through one line without stumbling. We had to start over FIVE times. This wouldn’t have happened if she’d prepared. Her name went from being starred to being crossed out.

Likewise, IF you screw up, keep going. You won’t be grudged one flubbed line if you’re truly right for the part – but flubbing EVERY line and having to start over will over-shadow any talent you might have.

3. Hit the basics.

One thing at a time...
One thing at a time…

There is a brief list of things to do when you first arrive to show you’re professional.

Being friendly when you come through the door is a must. If the character’s hostile, don’t come in brimming with hostility – save it for the audition. Introduce yourself first and foremost as a person who’s great to work with.

Also, if you have a REAL question about the part that will help your audition, don’t be afraid to ask. It shows you’re giving this thought. (But don’t pull a pretentious question out of thin air for no reason! Example: “Can you tell me any background for why the character feels so strongly about X?” FINE. “Is it safe to assume that the character’s feelings are strongly rooted in an existentialist training not mentioned here?” NO.)

Pretentious: Not a good look on you.
Pretentious: Not a good look on you.

Then, once things are really ready to roll, remember to do the following:

If it’s being taped, ask “How am I framed?” This gives everyone confidence you know their language and how to play to a camera. Also, knowing how you’re framed will help you figure out some basics: for example, how much should you be moving? If you’re in close-up, the answer is: not at all.

Next, make sure to slate. Slating means looking into the camera and saying your name before you start.

4. Take direction!

Go left. LEFT!
Go left. LEFT!

How well you take direction is often the deciding factor in whether you’ll be cast. Your first reading might have been great – but typically, you’ll be given a few notes and asked to do it again. This is either because the notes are genuine or because the powers that be want to see how well you adapt.

Feel free to ask questions when given notes. Brush up on improv or do whatever you have to to get good at applying notes quickly. One thing’s for sure – if an actor’s given notes, then proceeds to do the scene in the same exact way they did originally, their chances of success are drastically cut.

What other things do you do in auditions that you think are important? Please share in the comments below!

Bonus resource: http://mightytripod.com/actor-tips-how-to-nail-your-next-on-camera-audition/

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.

Actor Advice, Part One: 3 Tips for Getting the Audition

Acting is probably the hardest field to break into in the already very hard world of film.

This really hit home for me when I posted a casting call for just two characters (unpaid) and got over 450 applicants. With numbers like those, anything you can do to get (and improve) an audition is well worth it!

This is Part One of a two-part series. Below are some helpful tips for getting an audition. Granted, for well-know actors, this isn’t a problem. But for anyone just starting out? You need all the help you can get!

Learn from this flower and stand out.
Learn from this flower and stand out.

1. Have a reel.

450 actors. Let that number sink in. 450. I was able to audition 20. So I needed a way to cut that 450 down to its most promising 20, ASAP.

The easiest way for me to do this was to cut anybody who didn’t have a reel. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Of the 450, maybe 200 had reels, and watching their reels gave me at least some idea of what they could and couldn’t do. Why would I opt to audition one of the 250 people who didn’t have a reel and who only sent generic headshots and resumes listing obscure credits which, for the most part, meant nothing to me? Not only did not having a reel indicate that they were less experienced, but I had no way of telling whether or not they could act their way out of a paper bag.

Little help?
Little help?

Just starting out and don’t have any footage to put a reel together? That shouldn’t be a problem. Find local film schools or recruit your film-loving friends to help you. Chances are you’ll find people to help on the cheap, or even for free.

Make sure you include a wide range of emotions in your reel. Pick  dramatic scenes, comedic scenes, scenes with tears, scenes with laughter, laid back scenes, etc. That way, no matter what part you want, you can point the casting folks to the right moment on your reel. (Yes, literally – tell them to go to minute 2:55 on the reel to see you cry if what they need is someone crying. They don’t need to see the first 2 minutes and 55 seconds of you singing or dancing or doing handstands or whatever if it’s not relevant to their needs.)

This stamp comes out fast.
This stamp comes out fast.

2. Write a real cover letter.

Ok, you might have to weigh the pros and cons of doing this one. I’ve done most of my casting through sites like mandy.com and I understand that it’s common practice to send a pre-written form letter to tons of potential jobs at once, to up your chances that a few reply back.  From the perspective of the casting people, though, this can be really annoying.

They wade through hundreds of letters from ‘interested people’ who clearly didn’t even glance at their casting notice. Actors will talk about being great comedic actors when applying for a drama. They’ll talk about their rates when the notice already said the role is unpaid. They’ll be 25 years old when the role is for someone who’s 75. You get the idea. (An extension of this rule is that you should only apply for roles that are right for you.)

Not the right shot to include if you're applying for the role of a carefree babysitter.
Not the right shot to include if you’re applying for the role of a carefree babysitter.

This wastes people’s time. (Remember, they have about 450 applications to get through.) For that reason, stuff like this leads to an instant delete.

What does impress? Someone expressing a clear interest in a role. And these letters don’t have to be long and daunting – just a few lines will do it.

Last fall, I was looking for a hard-partying, tough-as-nails, blue-collar woman in her 30s. A woman in her 30s applied and wrote: “I love playing gritty, blue-collar roles and this one sounds amazing.” She was in for an audition, and ultimately got the part. She had a genuine interest in THAT character.

Make sure your pictures have... pictures.
Make sure your pictures have… pictures.

3. Pictures.

This is one that I don’t see many people doing, but it is helpful. Every actor has (or should have) a basic headshot. But the basic headshot is usually a ‘blank slate.’ The actor’s expression is a faint smile or totally blank, and that’s it.

It’s good to also have pictures of yourself expressing a wide range of emotions. That way, depending on the part, you can attach the one that best suits the character.

Hope you enjoyed my air-brushed headshot... now, just in case this picture's helpful...
Hope you enjoyed my air-brushed headshot… now, just in case this sobbing picture’s helpful…

Attach your headshot too – but right next to it, attach a photo that lets the casting person ‘see you’ in the part. As these pictures usually appear in the body of the application email, they are the first thing casting people see before clicking to view a reel or looking at a resume. And it doesn’t need to be as dramatic as Dawson sobbing above – but just one innocent-looking/dangerous-looking/capable-looking photo can help.

Overwhelmed by the number of applicants, there were definitely actors that got shut out of my casting process because, at a glance, they just looked wrong for the parts they were applying for. Having these extra photos can help solve that problem.

There you have it – what I think are the top three rules for getting an audition. Apply these, and I promise you that your chances of landing an audition will greatly improve.

Share what you done that helped you get auditions down in the comments!

And stay tuned for Part 2: Nailing the Audition

 By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.

4 Things Screenwriters Should Know About Selling Their Screenplays

I recently sold a screenplay. I’d previously done paid writing assignments, been hired to write scripts based off other people’s ideas … but this was the first time I sold one of my absolutely original, written-for-myself, feature-length scripts.

So I want to impart some words of wisdom to other screenwriters about making a deal.

price
Choose wisely…
  1. PRICE ACCORDINGLY. Most people believe if you sell a screenplay, you’re getting a huge cash pay-out all at once. Not true. (Even worse are the people who convince you that you SHOULD be getting a ton of money even if you’re a beginner, and talk you into turning down a deal that could help your career move forward.) There are a whole lot of ways to sell a screenplay – and selling to a major studio (the least likely) is the only way that pays a huge amount of upfront cash.

Don’t be discouraged! At the start of your career, focus on making sales happen and racking up credits on IMDB. There are tons of small indie production companies far more willing to read spec scripts than studios, and more likely to stick with your original vision. But – being small and indie – their budgets aren’t studio budgets, and the 2-5% that goes to the writer won’t add up to a six figure deal.

They may also need to pay you according to a broken-out schedule. Or pay you via equity in the film.

Whatever their constraints, don’t give up if you’re not met with the pay day you’d envisioned. Work out a reasonable payment plan keeping in mind that the main goal is to get them to MAKE THIS MOVIE and make it well… which won’t happen if you bleed them dry.

Proceed with caution...
Proceed with caution…
  1. THERE WILL BE CHANGES. My former screenwriting professor told me a terrible story. He wrote a script based on his father’s real-life experience in a poker tournament on a ship returning home after World War II. The pot was over $1 million (imagine that in 1945!) There was backstabbing, cheating, and violence. Every man was desperate to win and live out the American dream.

Sounds like a great movie, right?

A major studio thought so and bought the rights. But then… they wondered… would it resonate with a modern audience? Before my professor knew what happened, instead of a ship, they wanted a space ship, and instead of poker, they wanted the Ultimate X-Games.

You get the idea. Once you sell your script, the new owners have the right to ask for whatever changes they want – and there will ALWAYS be changes. Even when they say they love it as it is, just wait… after getting feedback from other sources (especially investors), they will want you to make changes.

And you will. With a smile. Because that’s your job. And if you can take whatever notes you’re given and turn over a new draft – writing will stay in your future.

And to be fair, sometimes their changes will be for the better. But other times… your World War II drama will get sent to outer space. Be ready for blast off.

What's going on?
What’s going on?
  1. THERE WILL BE CHANGES YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH. The changes you’ll be asked to make are one thing. What’s harder is when changes get made without anyone telling you, which will also happen. Again, you have to stay positive. This is a collaborative art form, after all, and in film, unlike theatre and TV, the writer’s say is much less important than that of directors, producers, etc. If you want control, become a director – not a screenwriter.

One related piece of advice: when possible, be on the set. At least that way, the first time you see these changes won’t be at the premiere.

Be their number one cheerleader!
Be their number one cheerleader!
  1. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. No matter how it turns out, or what got changed, or what you pictured differently – always, always show support for the film. This was put together by people doing their best to make something great and who put their faith and money into something you brought them in the first place. Help promote it on social media, attend events when you can, give glowing interviews to the press if that’s an issue… Be proud of what was made.

Then do it all over again with the next one.

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage. 

 

Veterans at the DFA!

As Kelvin Surgener, a veteran and DFA student will tell you, all schools handle the veteran enrollment process differently. Sometimes, the process can be a smooth one – other times, not so much.

The DFA prides itself on a large number of enrolled veterans, and strives to make veteran enrollment as simple and straightforward as possible. Surgener, who was a Navy combat photographer in Iraq, recalls how he filled out his application form on a Thursday and was able to start school on Tuesday.

This is a refreshing change from the problems veterans may sometimes face when trying to enroll at other schools: namely, a stigma that veterans, trained in combat, are not prepared for a more academic environment. Although there is absolutely no evidence to back this up, it’s become a controversial topic in the news, and veterans have been fighting hard to claim their place in the educational world once returning from combat.

At the DFA, though, veterans are thriving. The instant access and training on top-end film equipment has helped many to dive straight into their film careers, with impressive results.

Check out what a few DFA veterans have to say about their experiences in the video above!

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.

April 16th DFA Student Screening!

April 16th was the most recent screening of DFA students’ work – and the work was spectacular! Not only were the featured shorts diverse, but they displayed a range of skill not always found among new filmmakers.

The night kicked off with the short film Full Circle, written and directed by Pauline Gefin. Based on something that happened to Gefin in New York City, the charming piece details the karmic experience of a girl who helps a hungry man pay for food at a city food cart – and is then later rewarded when another guy pays for her lunch at another food cart and the two share a connection. Gefin’s filmmaking talent was apparent through her skillful shots and natural-feeling edits.

Pauline Gefin (right) talks about her short film and her PSA.
Pauline Gefin (right) talks about her short film and her PSA.

Gefin was also the only filmmaker to show two pieces that evening. The second piece, a PSA promoting literacy, was hilarious. Two days later, Gefin learned the PSA has been accepted to the 60 Seconds or Less Video Festival.

Up next was Daniel Ademinokan’s trailer for his thriller Twisted, also featured at the recent Voice & Rhythm Event. The tense preview gives viewers a glimpse into the life of an immigrant who quickly learns that the U.S., for her, is not a place of freedom. She shares the chillingly memorable line: “The brighter the picture, the darker the negative.” We’re looking forward to seeing the final film!

Next was episode two of the web series Chronicles of a Profiler by Jamaal Green. The web series, which has received quite a bit of buzz in the DFA community, features a former detective trying to escape a troubled past. He suffers from visions of crimes – sometimes before they even happen – and has friends and foes alike turn up to try and force him to confront his demons. Episode one is available for viewing at http://vimeo.com/78569149.

Writer/director Jamaal Green gets his turn in front of the camera!
Writer/director Jamaal Green gets his turn in front of the camera!

Tenzin Kalden shared his short film Zip, about chance connections, snap decisions, and how easily they can change your life. In the film, a young man “saves” a prostitute being physically threatened by her pimp – only to discover that he’s lost her quite a bit of money by doing so. Despite this fact, they’re able to make a connection – only to later suffer a terrible car accident.

Perhaps the most original work of the night was Carina Silva’s Gragon. The trailer had also been shown at the Voice & Rhythm event, but at the DFA screening, viewers were treated to the full short. This fantasy piece was shot entirely with a green screen and Silva filled in amazing special effects details to help tell the story of a Princess who travels to a strange land to battle against an oncoming evil force.

Carina Silva, Gragon filmmaker, being interviewed at the screening.
Carina Silva, Gragon filmmaker, being interviewed at the screening.

The night wrapped up with Football Coach Party by Joseph Leon. Unlike the other shorts, this was a documentary/interview-style piece filmed at the induction of Bill McCartney, the former University of Colorado football coach, into the College Football Hall of Fame. According to Gary Barnett, the assistant coach under McCartney at Colorado, “Mac,” as he’s affectionately known, took the team from being “as far down as possible to the national championship.” Along with Barnett, the piece included interviews with athletic director Rick George and Bill McCartney himself.

Bill McCartney gives a speech at the College Football Hall of Fame.
Bill McCartney gives a speech at the College Football Hall of Fame.

One thing that was noticeable was how students presenting films had also worked on a number of the other shorts being presented – in all different capacities. This not only fosters the sense of ‘family’ among DFA students and grads – something all the filmmakers at the event commented on – but also gives them all ample experience in multiple filmmaking roles before graduation.

Can’t wait to see what these up-and-comers show in the future!

 

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.

Thoughts on a Blog

What is a blog exactly? I mean, beyond the fact that “blog” is short for “web log.” What constitutes a blog and did they exist in any other form prior to the world wide web? Are there any set rules restricting blog format and what they cover? Should there be?

My first encounter with the term “blog” was in  the fall of 2006 when my daughter was a grad student at UC Berkeley, CA. At the time I lived in Rome, New York. We didn’t get to speak to each other as much as we used to, so when we did our conversations were pretty long. One night she said to me, “Dad, it’s getting late and I still have to post my blog before I go to bed.”

long_distance_love_c
Blogging 3,000 miles away.

I was intrigued and asked her what that was. She let me know that it was sort of an anonymous diary posted online, a place where other readers can give their opinions about your feelings and decisions that you’ve made or are about to make based on their experience. That left me thinking that blogs were for anonymously airing your feelings and getting public feedback.

The big benefit of this would be that those opinions could help a blogger (or reader) to get clarity on a situation… although several differences of opinions may not always make matters clear.

What would Shakespeare have put in his blog?
What would Shakespeare have put in his blog?

If blogs are nothing but sharing opinions and advice, then I quote Shakespeare’s SONNET 59 :

Or whether revolution be the same.                                                                                       O! sure I am, the wits of former days                                                                                      to subjects be worse have given admirable praise.

And Ecclesiastes 1:9:

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.

Blogs are open to any and every subject imaginable – and seem to be just the most recent, modern-age development in the world of sharing advice through reading and writing. But there is one area in which I think they can be very helpful: in filmmaking.

Filmmakers can both entertain and build an audience through use of a blog. Particularly blogs where people interested in film can share their ups and downs in life – and on the set. (Misery loves company, especially when it can commiserate with super stars from the big screen!) Moreover, few crafts are as complicated as all of the many crafts that add up to a good film. Having blogs with advice to guide filmmakers as they learn is invaluable.

What do you think about blogs?

By Digital Film Academy Student Blogger Leon Scrubb

Return to blog homepage.

Must-Know Skills: Da Vinci Resolve Lite

There’s so much that goes into making a good film. So. Much. Not just all the planning and writing and casting, but also everything you have to do once the shooting is done and you’re left with a bunch of footage that may or may not come close to what you’d envisioned.

Would you know what to do when you got to this point?
Would you know what to do when you got to this point?

Post-production is a huge, complicated world, and one of the most important and in-demand post-production skills is that of color correction. Adjusting the color and appearance of a scene can give it a completely different feel from what was on the raw footage. A scary scene can get a greenish tinge to make it more unsettling, or an everyday scene shot with bad lighting can get evened out to make it look as natural as possible.

The tip of the iceberg: footage in different colors.
The tip of the iceberg: footage in different colors.

On April 12-13, 2014, the DFA is offering an intensive two-day course in Da Vinci Resolve Lite, a free software with tons of tools to help you get the look of your footage just right. In two days, the course will walk participants through the basics of Resolve Lite up through giving footage a distinct look, and much more. Visit the registration page for more details. The course will be taught by Hector Berrebi, a post production, color correction and video theory teacher of nine years. Berrebi has given lectures on this topic in numerous schools, as well as seminars in Tel Aviv, Israel, and in the US during NAB Post Production World. This is the third year he’ll be teaching Resolve Lite.

Hector Berrebi teaching Post Production
Hector Berrebi teaching Post Production

Additionally, Hector is a partner in a boutique post facility in Tel Aviv, and also works with major Israeli broadcasters, post facilities, and the government doing post production.

Finally, one thing you gotta love about the DFA: they offer the courses you need at a fraction of the cost of most places. The course is $550 for the general public and $450 for DFA students and alums. (Bring your own laptop and receive an additional $50 off.) Most courses of this type are usually in the $1,500 and up range.

This is the perfect opportunity for you to learn how to take your footage and get it across the finish line with style. We hope to see you there!

Course registration page.

 

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.

"Voice & Rhythm" Event a Success!

March 31, 2014 saw NYC’s Film Anthology Archives packed with ESL learners, teachers, and enthusiasts. The “Voice & Rhythm” Event was well under-way with the three main sponsors well-represented: Broadway Dance Center dancers put on a spirited opening performance and later ended the night with passionate freestyle dancing; Rennert students shared a lively music video to the tune of Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind”; and the DFA shared videos from several of its ESL filmmakers.

The Broadway Dance Center Dancers
The Broadway Dance Center Dancers

DFA videos included three short pieces from international students. Daniel Adminokan from Nigeria showed a trailer for his short film Twisted, a dramatic thriller. Carina Silva Alves from Portugal shared an anime-esque adventure based on a 30-second short she’d made with her siblings while in middle school. The entire short was made with the use of a greenscreen. Finally, the DFA presentations were rounded out by a hot music video featuring belly-dancing from Turkey’s Nergis Senturk.

Tom Griffin, Director of Admissions for DFA, presents students' work
Tom Griffin, Director of Admissions for DFA, presents students’ work

Of course, the main events for the evening were the presentations by Fluency MC (Jason R. Levine) and Rachel Smith of Rachel’s English, two big YouTube personalities. They did not disappoint!

Fluency MC started strong, performing his hit “Stick Stuck Stuck (The Irregular Verb Song)” and getting the whole crowd of 100+ participants to sing along. All attendees got a free MP3 of the song in their gift packets. He also sang “That’s What’s Up” and “Get a Life,” two songs focused on two of the more versatile and therefore confusing words in the English language: up and get. His segment concluded with his “Rhyme & Rhythm” instrumental, a back-and-forth with the audience getting them to rap-respond to questions in full sentences.

Fluency MC does his thing!
Fluency MC does his thing!

Rachel blew the audience away when, in the first minutes of her presentation, she put her microphone aside and belted out a line from Madame Butterfly. A former opera singer, her take on learning English is different from that of the average person. Her technique is all about learning which syllables should be stressed and which shouldn’t, so that the language sounds natural. Her theory on how mastering sounds alone isn’t enough was fascinating; she concluded by saying that, when speaking a foreign language, “It shouldn’t feel as easy as speaking your own language. It should feel silly, weird, stupid, embarrassing… Make it feel different.” If you do that, you’re closer to getting it right.

Rachel gives an audience participant from Thailand a pronunciation lesson!
Rachel gives an audience participant from Thailand a pronunciation lesson!

Additionally, the night was absolutely loaded with prizes for attendees. Prizes included a day trip to Philadelphia, facials, sweatshirts, chocolate, dance classes, and lots more… but the biggest reaction came when a girl won a Circle Line Tour and decided to bring her best friend with her.

Later in the evening, her best friend won her own prize – a free film editing course at the DFA!

 

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.

Do Movie Scoring Sites Affect What You Watch?

A few weeks ago, I started thinking about the impact of movie scoring sites on society’s decisions to watch films. Sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Flixster, and Metacritic.

In my humble opinion, most movies these days lack the emotional content to create a worthy film. We are in the age of remaking, rehashing, and blowing things up. Every movie seems to be superheroes, animation, and action-filled nonsense.

A perfect example: after much wearing down, my mother got me to watch The Expendables. FINE, MOM!

Sly Stallone in The Expendables
Sly Stallone in The Expendables

Before agreeing, my first thought was to look at my Flixster app to see if it was worth watching based on the percentage of likes. Against my better judgement, I decided against those results, watched it, and, to my chagrin, thought it sucked. It was another plot-less movie masked with big bangs and bigger muscles.

I have to say that before coming to DFA, I would probably have thought this movie was as awesome as my mother did. Film school has really changed the way I view movies. My mother has no concern for the plot; she just likes the action.

I immediately went to Flixster and it agreed with me. This movie was not well-liked by the critics, but more than half the audience liked it. Another movie that is actually one of my favorites is called Teeth. In that case, the audience did not like it but the critics rated it very well. Then there are movies that both audience and critics love, like Dr. Strangelove.

An iconic moment from Dr. Strangelove.
An iconic moment from Dr. Strangelove.

Once the movie industry spots a trend, they jump on it like zombies on flesh. So, I asked some DFA students whether they value the opinions on scoring sites. Most said no, but they believe a non-film student would because film students have a different thought process and different taste than the average viewer. My view now parallels the critic’s percentage versus that of the audience when it used to be the reverse. I’m looking at the editing, the effects used (example: Mr. Disappointing Monster in Cloverfield), and the execution of the story.

Let me know what you think.

 

By Digital Film Academy Student Blogger Harley Page

Return to blog homepage.

DFA to Sponsor "Voice & Rhythm" Performance Event!

Today’s indie film world is all about innovation. For this reason, the DFA is proud to sponsor Voice & Rhythm in English, an ESL Performance, along with Rennert International and the Broadway Dance Center. The show will take place at the Film Anthology Archives in NYC on March 31st, 2014, from 6-9 pm.

The Anthology Film Archives in New York City.
The Anthology Film Archives in New York City.

This event features two YouTube celebrities who are all about “innovation. ” Rachel Smith and Jason R. Levine are both American teachers who use digital video to entertain and educate, approaching the world of ESL (English as a second language) in creative, ground-breaking ways. As a result, they have developed massive followings for their fun, unique YouTube videos. Voice & Rhythm will give them the opportunity to interact personally with fans.

This event struck a particular chord with the DFA as many DFA students are international, hailing from all corners of the globe. Despite English being their second language, they’ve still gone on to have successful careers in the world of film – which is why an event celebrating the use of digital video to promote ESL was a natural fit for the DFA. Clips from some DFA international students’ short films will even be featured at the event.

The show will incorporate video, rap, and dance and will be the first time Smith and Levine have performed together in New York City.

Rachel's English
Rachel’s English

Smith, a classically trained opera singer, produces the YouTube series Rachel’s English, a free compilation of more than 300 English self-study tutorials. Her focus is on the subtleties of English pronunciation – often the hardest thing to master in learning a new language. In 2013, she was named a YouTube Next How-To Guru for the quality and popularity of her work.

Fluency MC
Fluency MC

Levine, better known to his global audience as Fluency MC, creates songs and videos to deliver high-energy lessons. Levine has toured nine countries as an English Specialist for the U.S. State Department, using his unique approach to inform his audiences. His video for “Stick-Stuck-Stuck (The Irregular Verb Song)” recently surpassed 1.5 million views on YouTube.

“With Voice & Rhythm we’re breaking new ground in online learning,” says Levine.

There will be free giveaways for all attendees and a prize drawing.

Reserve your spot at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/voice-rhythm-in-english-tickets-10977055669.

 

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

Return to blog homepage.


® GI Bill® Is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill